Album review of ‘Punch’ by Autoheart

January 25, 2022 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Annika Getz

Autoheart is a London-based Indie-pop group. Their debut album ‘Punch’, was released in 2013, and features 12 songs. I’ll start by saying that this is one of my favorite albums. With captivating lyrics, catchy hooks, and great vocals, it really is the whole package.

The album opens with “Anniversary”, a great opening song. It sets up the general vibe of the album. An catchy song with an even catchier bridge and great lyrics, which gives you a baseline for what’s to come, without hitting peak lyricism yet.

Following “Anniversary” is “Factories”. This is my personal favorite from the album. The guitar work had me hooked from the second the song started. The lyrics have, to me, the perfect amount of ambiguity. The chorus “I am bride and groom in a darkened room, marrying anguish with one last wish. Will you and I make a breakthrough?” is a good example of such ambiguity. Once again the bridge is my favorite part of the song. The buildup is amazing and the lyrics “Do you recall with our vigor, with the pistol we can trigger, we can violate the liquor on the floor” are so pleasing to the ears.

“Control” is the third song. While I do enjoy this song, it isn’t really as memorable as many of the other songs on the album. It is, however, the first song on the album that isn’t super upbeat and fast-paced. I think it serves as a great set-up for the next song on the album, “Agoraphobia”.

“Agoraphobia” is much slower than the first three songs on the album, bringing a much different feeling. I find the melody to be slightly haunting, though beautiful nonetheless. “Agoraphobia” is a song which to me, perfectly encapsulates the feeling of not having it in you to get out of bed.

Fully shifting gears, the next song “Lent” returns to the fast-paced, upbeat vibe of the first few songs. “Lent” is one of Autoheart’s most popular songs and good reason.

“Moscow” is another one of my favorites from ‘Punch’. With an easy-to-remember melody, and great background guitar, it’s another song that’s just really pleasing to the ears.

“The Sailor Song” was their debut single, originally released in 2009, then re-released on ‘Punch’. This is a fan favorite for a lot of Autoheart fans, but isn’t super memorable to me personally. I find myself more interested in what I see as the catchier of the songs on the album. This isn’t to say I don’t like this song, because I really do, just not quite as much as some of the others.

Anyone like me, who finds themselves slightly underwhelmed with “The Sailor Song” will hopefully be revived by “Hungover in the City of Dust” the eighth song on the album. Once again, a bit of a slower song compared to many others, but something about it has me fully captivated throughout the song. Once again I find the bridge to be my favorite part of the song.

“January” and “The Witching Hour” are both great songs which I can’t seem to get into. I don’t skip them, since while I’m actively listening to them, I still enjoy them. They just aren’t very memorable in my opinion. I don’t seem to be alone in this opinion, since I never see too much about either of them online.

At risk of sounding repetitive, “Santa Fe” is another one of my favorites from the album. It is, like many other songs, catchy with great guitar work. I’m not quite doing it justice in my description, because it’s hard to encapsulate a song in writing, so you’ll either have to trust me, or listen to it yourself.

“Heartbreaker” is the final song on the album, and once again I find myself having trouble describing it well. It’s beautifully tragic, and is a great closer, even if it doesn’t really match the vibe of the rest of the album.

Overall, this album makes me feel like I’m the main character in an indie coming of age film in the best way possible.

For more information please visit:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Lm1CMoa8VOCBCLZesAcvc

Editorials/Student Voice

Should the US minimum wage be increased?

January 25, 2022 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Isaac Lund

The minimum wage in the US was introduced under President Franklin during the great depression. At the time of its creation, it was 25 cents, but today, Saint Paul’s is $12.50.

1.8 million workers, or 2.3% of the US’s workforce, makes less than the federal nationwide minimum, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Should these minimums be increased?

Proponents of a higher minimum wage say it would increase economic activity and spur job growth. The Economic Policy Institute stated that raising the federal minimum wage by $2.85 would inject 22.1 billion dollars in the economy over a 3 year span, while simultaneously creating 85,000 new jobs.

Also, raising the minimum wage may reduce poverty: the current federal minimum wage is 8% below the national poverty level for single-parent households.

The minimum wage is also not indexed for inflation, so even as consumer prices rise, salaries for the poor do not necessarily increase in kind.

Increasing the minimum wage has also been shown to reduce income, gender, and race inequality. A Human Impact Partners study also showed that such an increase would reduce premature deaths by giving a wider range of people enough to eat.

Opponents of raising the minimum wage argue that raising minimum wage would increase unemployment levels. This would happen because companies would be forced to lay off some employees to stay afloat with the new minimum, and would also likely have to lower hiring levels. Many companies in their entirety may be forced to close.

Of course, consumer goods and housing prices would also increase sequentially.

Finally, many predict that more companies would outsource to countries with lower wages, like Southeast Asia, compacting on to an already-terrible issue.

Both proponents and opponents of this issue have valid points, and several of both sides’ predictions would likely come to pass if the minimum wage was increased. I personally believe an increase would be prudent, but maybe a small one at first, just to see what it brings.

World

World hunger and ways to solve it

January 25, 2022 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Musab Mohamud

World hunger is an issue that plagues millions of people globally. The suffering that many face isn’t easily fixable and is one of many issues caused by war, famine and poverty.

Hunger is viewed as a third world issue when in reality, humans are starving everywhere. In cities such as Paris, New York, and Rome, the streets are full of people who are forced to beg for their next meal. Many children in the United States rely on school food so they won’t go hungry.

There are many proposals to help end hunger; funding agricultural programs is one that is sustainable and practical. In settings like rural Africa, Asia, and South America, it could be integral to feeding a family or village. However, it would be limited in more urban areas with the lack of space necessary for enough food for mass consumption. There are vast spaces in those rural countrysides that could be used as planting areas. Pushing people to create gardens with free seeds could be very helpful in improving food production.

A solution for urbanized areas could be government sanctioned food drives directed towards homeless and impoverished people. While there are already programs of the sort, they are not very effective. With countless organizations attempting to help stop hunger, they are making progress, however, it’s obviously not enough. Non-profit organizations simply don’t have the resources that the government does.

A quote from a student reads, “People should consider using compost more, you can reuse inedible food to grow food again.” Compost is a very good example of sustainable agriculture and could be used to reduce waste and help grow healthy and natural food. Soil is very important in the growth of food and cannot be wasted, so introducing compost to the mix could increase food production and lessen costs as a side effect.

Advice/How To, School Life

Ways to keep you stress about school low

January 25, 2022 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Ella Sutherland

School can be one of the most stressful things in a teenager’s life. There are so many different classes and with those classes come homework, projects, and tests. It can be very hard to keep on top of all your work and not feel overwhelmed with stress, but if you use the skills that are in this article it will be easier. Lots of these worked for me.

First of all, we are coming to the end of the 1st semester, which means finals are coming up. Lots of teachers are giving tests and projects.

Personally, I think tests are a lot more stressful than projects are. Some ways you can prepare yourself for them include keeping on top of the homework and class work that the teacher is giving you. Lots of helpful things will be in the class work, and it will be a really good source of practice.

Another thing you can do is take notes. If the teacher assigns notes make sure you take them, because sometimes teachers will let you have notes on the tests. Even if the teacher doesn’t let you have them while you are taking the test they can act as a really good way to study and review.

Even though not many people like doing this, studying actually works. If you just take like 10 minutes a day to go over your notes, or your assignments that you had done that week, you can actually learn a lot. For math especially, if you just go over what you have done earlier that week you can really get the system for what you have to do, and that will really help on the test.

And finally, if you have a project to do, either group or individual, you really need to keep on top of the work that is needed for the project. When projects are assigned you usually get around a week or so, and when you have that long period of time it feels like you don’t have to do it right away so you end up procrastinating. In the end, that doesn’t work as well as working on time and splitting up the things you need to do. It will not be as rushed, and if it is not as rushed then it will end up being a better project and you will actually know the information you’re doing the project on.

Music/Concerts

School of Rock

January 24, 2022 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Annika Getz

School of Rock is a music education program founded roughly twenty years ago by Paul Green. Green says that the idea for the program came from an assignment he gave his students. He told them to do “jam sessions” over the weekend, and noticed that they improved greatly, just by practicing their instruments in a group. Green said, “Imagine being on a baseball team and never playing games. That’s what music education was like before School of Rock. You’d just practice.”

Since its founding, the program has spread greatly, with locations all across the world. There are over one hundred locations in the U.S. alone, and three in Minnesota.

There are multiple different main programs involved in the school. Little Wing is a group for kids ages 3-5. With one lesson a week, the kids learn foundational music skills such as rhythm, dynamics, melody, and song structure.

The next group up is Rookies. Rookies is for kids 6-7 years old. Composed of children with no previous musical training, Rookies meet once a week, and learn fundamentals like chords, rhythm, and song structure. They practice with multiple different instruments, and then decide which instrument they’d like to continue with in the next group up, Rock 101.

101 is composed of kids ages 8-13. Each student get’s one group lesson a week, and one private lesson with an instructor.

The next groups up are 201 and 301, which are more or less the same, but with more difficult songs. 301 groups are also themed, while 201 and 101 are typically not. 201 and 301 are also performance groups, with mid and end season shows.

House band is a group of kids under 18, who meet several times a week, and have frequent live shows in the community.

The AllStar summer tour is a nationwide two week long tour, with the best of the best from School of Rock locations all around the country. Less than 1% of students are selected for the tour, with the audition process including both video and live auditions. Those selected travel in a tour bus, and have nightly performances at famous venues, and festivals.

Online and adult programs are also available.

I’ve been in the 201 program for one season. While it hasn’t been very long, I’ve already learned more, and improved more, than I have for the first year I’ve played guitar. Playing in group band sessions is a fun and gratifying way to improve with your instrument, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for an enjoyable music program.

For more information, please visit:

https://www.schoolofrock.com/
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2021/10/11/dixon-school-school-rock-class-partners-with -childrens-chorus-to-provides-music-outlet-students/6054365001/
https://bestofnj.com/features/entertainment/school-of-rock-founder-reveals-inspiration-be hind-program/

Advice/How To, Editorials/Student Voice

How to cope with seasonal depression/prevent it from getting worse

January 24, 2022 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Kayla Madison

*Note: The suggestions here are the views/opinions of the author, and are not to be taken as medical advice

There are about 4 to 6% of people in the United States that have seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It’s a type of depression that is stimulated by changes in the weather mainly occurring during the winter time. In this article, I’m going to look at some things that I think can help make this kind of sadness a little bit easier to deal with.

You can prepare yourself during autumn, you know, going out with friends, and doing things you love. It can help you not slip too fast into depression.

Another thing is getting antidepressants, which need to be prescribed by a certified doctor. While these won’t cure your sadness, when having the right one it can suppress it for quite an amount of time.

You can also just try making the most of winter. There are so many fun things to do during this time and so many things to look forward to. Take school break for example. While I feel like we should have the whole month off, we get 2 weeks to simply enjoy our time with friends and family during the holidays.

Christmas is something awesome to look forward to, “Well what about after,” there’s snow outside…go sledding, ice skating, skiing, snowboarding. If sporty stuff isn’t your thing, build a snowman, have a snowball fight, make a gingerbread house then eat it because those can be so delicious.

Just try not to see the bad side of things, enjoy your winter and happy holidays!

Alpine Skiing, Basketball, Gymnastics, Hockey, Nordic Skiing, Scoreboard/Schedule, Swimming & Diving, Wrestling

Sports schedule for: Jan 24-29

January 24, 2022 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

MONDAY	JANUARY 24TH
TIME	BUS TIMES	EVENT	LOCATION
TBD		Boys/Girls Alpine Ski vs. St. Croix Prep	Afton Alps
TUESDAY	JANUARY 25TH
TIME	BUS TIMES	EVENT	LOCATION
3:45pm	2:20pm / 5:15pm	Boys/Girls Nordic Ski Relay	Como Picnic Pavilions
5:00pm / 7:00pm		Girls Hockey vs. Simley	Veterans Memorial Community Center
5:30pm / 7:00pm		Girls Basketball vs. Harding	Harding High School
*5:30pm / 5:30pm* *7:00pm*		*Boys Basketball vs. Harding*	*HOME*
WEDNESDAY	JANUARY 26TH
TIME	BUS TIMES	EVENT	LOCATION
*5:00pm*		*Wrestling Triangular vs.* *Washington and Ogilvie*	*HOME*
*6:00pm*		*Gymnastics vs. Central/Como/OWL*	*HOME*
THURSDAY	JANUARY 27TH
TIME	BUS TIMES	EVENT	LOCATION
5:00pm / 7:00pm		Boys Hockey vs. Minnehaha	Minnehaha Academy
*5:30pm / 7:00pm*		*Girls Basketball vs. Harding*	*HOME*
FRIDAY	JANUARY 28TH
TIME	BUS TIMES	EVENT	LOCATION
TBD		Boys/Girls Alpine Ski vs. Stillwater	Afton Alps
TBD		Boys/Girls JV Nordic Ski	Hyland Hills Ski Area
3:45pm	7:30am / 4:00pm	Boys/Girls Varsity Nordic Ski Conference Meet	Theodore Wirth Park
4:00pm / 5:30pm 7:00pm	C/JV: 2:45pm/6:45pm V: 6:00pm / 8:15pm	Boys Basketball vs. Central	Central High School
*5:00pm / 7:00pm*		*Girls Hockey vs. South St. Paul*	*WSP Ice Arena*
*5:30pm / 7:00pm*		*Girls Basketball vs. Central*	*HOME*
6:00pm	4:30pm / 8:00pm	Boys Swimming and Diving Conference Championships	Humboldt High School
*7:00pm / 7:00pm*		*Boys Hockey vs. Minnehaha*	*Highland Ice Arena*
SATURDAY	JANUARY 29TH
TIME	BUS TIMES	EVENT	LOCATION
10:00am	6:00am / 5:00pm	Wrestling Invitational	Rochester Century High School
12:00pm / 1:30pm 3:00pm	C/JV: 9:00am/11:45am V: 11:00am / 1:15pm	Boys Basketball vs. Saint Thomas	Saint Thomas Acadmey
*12:30pm*		*JV Girls Hockey vs. Hastings*	*WSP Ice Arena*

Football

Kellen Mond’s future with the Vikings

January 20, 2022 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Abby Altman

With a 10-37 loss to the Packers in week 17, the Minnesota Vikings have been officially eliminated from playoff contention. This left many fans looking ahead to week 18, hoping to see a potential look into the Vikings future, through rookie QB Kellen Mond.

Mond was a 3rd round draft pick out of Texas A&M, where he had a 59% completion rate, 71 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions through 4 years. Mond went 28/51 with 1 interception this preseason.

Although many fans wanted to see Mond start in week 17, with Kirk Cousins under COVID protocols, Sean Mannion started, and Mond only saw 1 drive in the 4th quarter. Mond went 2/3 for just 5 yards. With no stakes in week 18, fans are looking to see Mond start against Chicago, but Zimmer shut down the idea quickly.

“Not particularly,” Zimmer told reporters when asked whether he wanted to “Get a look at Mond,” against the Bears.

“Why not?”

“I see him every day,” Zimmer said.

Zimmer was recently fired from his head coaching position, along with Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. With Spielman gone, current QB Kirk Cousins’ future is up in the air. Spielman was instrumental in signing Cousins to a massive guaranteed contract, practically eliminating Minnesota’s cap space.

Mond is officially listed as the Vikings third string quarterback, behind Sean Mannion as backup. Mannion has been in the league for 7 years, recording just 3 starts with 1 touchdown and no wins. Many fans are looking for Mond to see some more playing time when appropriate, which could be possible under the team’s future management.

Kellen Mond is a big quarterback, with a strong arm. Athletically speaking, he is close to the opposite of Kirk Cousins. He is quick in the pocket and can make big plays with his legs, along with a great ability to sense the pass rush.

Mond’s accuracy is one thing that could be keeping him off the field this season. In college, Mond only completed 59% of his passes, and 27 interceptions over his 4 seasons in Texas. Mond likes to take erratic, long passes downfield to show his arm strength, which leads to many potential risk factors.

The Vikings offseason will be interesting in many ways, especially in the quarterback hunt, and the future of Kellen Mond.

Travel/Food

Candy: A spectrum of deliciousness

January 20, 2022 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Isaac Lund

While many topics in today’s society are disagreed upon and argued against, one statement that I think everyone can agree on is one simple fact: candy is good.

However, while I do enjoy the occasional sweet treat, I think that some candies are simply not tasty. In order to rate the staple candies, I’ll be splitting them into two categories: fruit flavored candies and chocolate based candies.

Firstly, the chocolate based candies. Arguably the most well known candy, chocolate is popular for a reason. It’s delicious. However, only when done right. If the chocolate is combined with other materials in a weird way, or is made with low quality, then it can end up tasting bad.

Good chocolate based candies, in my opinion, include Milky Way and Twix, which combine caramel and chocolate; Crunch Bar and 100 Grand, which add in rice pieces for extra crunch; Butterfinger and Reese’s, who’s peanut butter chocolate combo is amazing; and Kit Kat and Heath, with crunchy centers.

All of these incorporate elements that enhance the experience, instead of taking away from it. While these candies are always welcomed into my diet, many chocolate candies are not so amazing.

Firstly, I don’t like Hershey’s because the chocolate is too low quality. This is an opinion shared by most Europeans, who have grown up with higher quality chocolate. Snickers has the same problem, with chalky tasting chocolate. I also don’t like M&Ms, because the candy coating makes them taste plasticine and overly sweet. Candy bars like Almond Joy and 3 Musketeers, that include fillings that are inherently not good, also belong at the bottom of my list.

Secondly, the fruit flavored candies. With a wider range of textures and selections, fruit flavored candies can land on a much larger spectrum of deliciousness. Some are as good as it gets, and some are completely inedible.

Candies that are very tasty include Skittles, whose texture is unbeatable; Smarties, which are pleasing in both taste and packaging; Airheads and Starburst, whose flavors are unbeatable; and Nerds, who are deliciously crunchy. Also belonging on the good end are all sour candies, who make you pucker all while being simultaneously sweet.

All of these candies are good in both texture and flavor.

Candies that don’t share this goodness are Laffy Taffy, which stick to your teeth and the wrapper; Dots, which are just nasty; and Mike & Ike’s, which make me nauseous.

These candies aren’t pleasurable in either flavor or texture, or both. I would rather eat gummy vitamins, which are both tastier and more nutritious, than eat any of these.

While candy is a staple in the dessert world, I believe that some companies need to reevaluate their candies’ quality, and help the world be a better place.

Science/Nature

Major celestial events in 2022

January 19, 2022 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Mila Hart

There are a lot of celestial events in store for us in 2022. Here is a list of the most noteworthy astronomical events that we will be able to see with our own eyes this year.

Starting in mid-February, and going till mid-March, Venus will be at its brightest. If you would like to brave the cold, you could see it a few hours before sunrise in the low southeast sky. It will be the brightest on February 13th.

On March 14th you can expect to see some shooting stars in the Y-Normid Meteor Shower. The only meteor shower in March with up to six meteors per hour.

You can expect another meteor shower on April 22nd called the Lyrid Meteor Shower. Make sure to go somewhere dark, with no light pollution, so that you can see up to eighteen meteors per hour.

On May 1st there will be a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus. Look up at the night sky to see the two brightest planets become a “double star” with Venus passing within 0°14’ of Jupiter. They will be visible in the east at dawn.

Another exciting meteor shower will take place on May 6th called the Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower. You will be able to see bright shooting stars from Halley’s Comet. Expect up to 40 meteors per hour.

On May 16th there will be a total lunar eclipse. This eclipse will be visible from Africa, the Americas, Europe, and French Polynesia.

On June 14th there will be something called the Super Strawberry Moon. This is the first super moon of the year and the moon will appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual.

The second super moon of the year will take place on July 13th. It is called the Buck Moon/Thunder Moon. This is the closest the moon will get to earth in 2022.

You can expect to see up to 25 meteors per hour on July 29-30 during the Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower. The best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight.

On August 12-13 I highly recommend leaving the city to see one of the best meteor showers of the year. The Perseid Meteor Shower peaks at up to 150 meteors per hour under dark skies. Also, on August 12th, you can see the last super moon of the year called the Sturgeon Moon.

The last noteworthy celestial event of 2022 ends with an exciting show. On November 8th there will be a total eclipse of the moon. This eclipse will mainly be seen from the western half of North America, the Hawaiian Islands, eastern Asia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and the eastern half of Australia. The total eclipse will last around one hour and twenty-five minutes.